Massage parlors may be regulated in Roxbury Township

At a meeting of the Township Council on Tuesday, Feb. 5, the
council decided to introduce an ordinance later this month that
will regulate massage parlors, and to insure only legitimate, legal
operations. Councilwoman Sandy Urgo said the police department and
the health department have been working on the ordinance model for
several months. She said there have been numerous complaints about
the legitimacy of what she said are "several" massage parlors in
the township.

"I have had complaints about some of the facilities in town that
are alleging to be massage parlors," Urgo said. "There are many ads
in newspapers for massage parlors, and a lot of the addresses are
Roxbury. This ordinance will allow us to license the legit ones and
to send a message to those who are not legit that they are not
welcome in Roxbury," Urgo said.

Health Officer Frank Grisi said the township has seven massage
parlors, all of which have set-up shop within the past few
years.

Few Complaints

He said his office has received no complaints, but the police
department has referred a few allegations of improper behavior
being offered to customers to his office. "We have visited the
parlors, and they vehemently deny these allegations ," Grisi
said.

Largely, he said the ordinance is just a precautionary action,
not one that comes as the result of many complaints and
violations.

"We want to insure that Roxbury Township has a business
community that is reputable, and one that complies with the laws,"
he said.

"We want to make sure that we have these regulations in place to
insure that we don't have any problems. This will allow us to be
sure that they are legit, and that they are properly maintained,
and that the employees do not have a background that would be cause
for some concern," he said.

Grisi said similar ordinances are in place in Randolph Township
and Parsippany.

To create the ordinance, Grisi said the township relied on the
expert assistance of a licensed, professional therapist. "We wanted
someone familiar with the industry so we could get acquainted with
the proper credentials required," he said.

"This is really just to avoid situations that are not desirable
that may be going on behind closed doors," Grisi said, adding that
the possible transmission of sexually transmitted diseases is
another concern.

Councilman Tom Vickery said that current zoning ordinances
already prohibit such businesses, but Urgo said many operate
without township approval, while many others are grandfathered in
as existing uses.

Township attorney Fred Semrau said the ordinance will require,
if passed, among other things, that each massager be licensed. They
must undergo an identity check, as must all employees of the
establishment, that would include police fingerprinting and
identification.

"There is a yearly renewal process involved for the license, and
that renewal process requires the building code department, the
police department and the health department to sign off on it,"
Semrau said.

Legitimate Business

According to the ordinance, its purpose is to make sure that
such businesses are "legitimate business enterprises that are not
engaged in criminal activity."

In the 11-page ordinance, which Semrau said was modeled after
similar ones that have been enacted in other towns, it states that
every applicant for an establishment must pay an annual licensing
fee of $200. Every applicant seeking a license to practice massage,
bodywork or somatic therapy, must pay an annual fee of $25 to have
that license renewed.

The ordinance also spells out specific regulations, aimed at
insuring health and safety of the public. For example: "All massage
tables, bathtubs, shower stalls, steam or bath areas and floors
shall have surfaces which may be readily disinfected, and shall be
maintained in a sanitary condition and regularly cleaned and
disinfected."

The ordinance will also require a criminal background check of
all employees, an d says the cost must be paid by the
applicant.

To be eligible for a license of massage, bodywork or somatic
therapy, an applicant must complete a minimum of 500 hours of
in-class study in the field of massage, bodywork or somatic
therapy. In addition, he/she must show that they have passed the
written examination offered by the National Certification Board for
Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

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